A request that this article title be changed to Piper Niven is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
Doudrop | |
---|---|
Birth name | Kimberly Benson |
Born | Kilbirnie, Scotland | 6 May 1991
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Doudrop [1] Piper Niven [1] Viper [2] |
Billed from | Ayrshire, Scotland [3] |
Trained by | Damian O'Connor Mikey Whiplash [4] |
Debut | 2007 |
Kimberly Benson (born 6 May 1991) is a Scottish professional wrestler better known by the ring name Doudrop. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Piper Niven. Benson began her career on the UK independent circuit under the ring name Viper, also performing in Japan for World Wonder Ring Stardom. After participating in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, she was signed to a contract by WWE in 2019. She is a former one-time Artist of Stardom Champion, two-time ICW Women's Champion, one-time SWA World Champion, and two-time WWE 24/7 Champion.
Kimberly Benson was born on 6 May 1991, in Kilbirnie, Scotland. [2] [5] [6]
Before turning into a wrestler, she kept her love for professional wrestling as a secret due to being worried that her female friends thought she was "weird" as they believed that was only a sport for men. [6] It wasn't until she was 15, and when her oldest nephew began to watch wrestling, that Benson's passion was rekindled and she was open about enjoying wrestling. [6] She was introduced to this sport at a training school near her Ayrshire home and, according to her, she debuted at age 16 one year after beginning her training; making accounts with her age, this was in 2007. [6] About her training, she said: "I got beat up, totally beat up. I remember lying in bed the next day, being so sore and in absolute agony, but I just loved it, I had to go back." [6]
She was part of the special program of ITV World of Sport Wrestling celebrated on New Year's Eve 2016, and until April of that year, she was programmed to appear on a revival of the series. [6] However, a month later before filming was set to begin, the project was postponed indefinitely. [6] [7] Although not long after, she received a phone call from WWE, one of the largest wrestling companies in the world, asking her to be part of the women's tournament, Mae Young Classic 2017. [6] [7] The event took place in 2017 and was an all-women tournament. Benson asked World of Sport Wrestling to release her from her contract to participate in the competition. [8] She competed as Piper Niven since the name she was using was Viper and that was already the name of a WWE star inside the company, deciding to choose that name because she played bagpipes as a child, and Niven is her dad's first name. [6] She defeated Santana Garrett in the first round [9] and Serena Deeb in the round two, [10] before being defeated by Toni Storm in the quarterfinals. [11]
In 2017, Benson worked in Japan as Viper for the company World Wonder Ring Stardom. On 7 January of that year, at the event Stardom New Years Stars 2017 – Tag 2, she was part of the team "Oedo Tai" with Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura as a replacement for Hana Kimura who was injured, where she tried to help the team to retain the Artist of Stardom Championship against "Queen's Quest" a team integrated by HZK, Io Shirai and Momo Watanabe, in which they were defeated and they lost the title. [12] On 13 August, she joined Queen's Quest along with Shirai and HZK to face the team "Team Jungle" integrated by Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona and Kaori Yoneyama in a match for the Artist of Stardom Championship at the event Midsummer Champions 2017, in which they achieved to win the title and Viper crown herself champion. [13] [14] On 16 September, Viper participated at the event 5★Star Grand Prix 2017 of Stardom, where she draw with Mayu Iwatani both with 10 points. [15] Along with Queen's Quest, managed to defend and retain the Artistic Championship three times [16] before they left it vacant on 15 April 2018 after a draft executed by Stardom, ending their reign with 245. [17] One month before that same year, on 28 March, she faced Toni Storm at the Stardom Dream Slam in Tokyo event in a match for her SWA World Championship, in which the ICW Women's Championship of Viper was also in the line, where she defeated Storm to capture the title, emerging victorious with both championships. [18] Defended and retained the championship twice [19] before losing it in a match against Utami Hayashishita at the Stardom 8th Anniversary event held on 14 January 2019, in which she also put her EVE International Championship at stake, where she was defeated and lost both titles, [20] ending her reign with the SWA Championship in 292 days [21] and with the EVE Championship in 92 days. [22]
In early 2019, a rumour started spreading in which it was said and expected that Viper signed with WWE, [23] [24] which came out to be true when she appeared and debuted on 27 March episode of NXT UK that year, where, under the ring name Piper Niven, she confronted Rhea Ripley. [25] Niven had her first televised match with WWE after being signed on a special program entitled WWE Worlds Collide on 24 April, which consisted on various matches that involved wrestlers from all the brands; Raw, SmackDown, NXT, 205 Live and NXT UK, this last one was the brand that she belonged to and represented, defeating Zelina Vega of SmackDown. [26] On 19 June episode of NXT UK, Niven competed in a battle royal to determine who would have a future opportunity to face the NXT UK Women's Champion Toni Storm. In the match, Niven was eliminated by Xia Brookside. [27]
On 12 January 2020 at the NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event, Niven competed in a triple threat match against Storm and Kay Lee Ray for the NXT UK Women's Championship, where Niven was defeated and pinned by Kay Lee. [28] Niven returned to NXT UK television on 24 September of that year, where she challenged Kay Lee Ray in a match for the NXT UK Women's Championship, where she was defeated. [29] On 19 November, Niven challenged Ray in a Falls Count Anywhere match for the NXT UK Women's Championship. Niven was again defeated by Kay Lee due to an interference made by Jinny. [30]
Niven lost to Jinny in a No. 1 contenders match for the NXT UK Women's Championship on episode 7 January 2021 of NXT UK. [31] On 11 March, Niven and Jack Starz defeated Jinny and Joseph Conners in the NXT UK's first-ever mixed tag team match. [32] [33]
On 14 June 2021 episode of Raw , Niven was traded to the brand as Eva Marie's unnamed protégé, defeating Naomi in her debut match. [34] The following week on Raw, Marie introduced her as "Doudrop". Later that night, she and Marie were defeated in a tag team match by Asuka and Naomi. [35] At SummerSlam, Doudrop turned against Marie, [36] and on the following episode of Raw, Marie attacked Doudrop during an interview; starting a feud between them. [37] After defeating Marie twice on 13 and 20 September episodes of Raw, [38] [39] on the next episode, Doudrop challenged Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship in a losing effort due to a distraction by Marie. [40] In October, Doudrop entered the Queen's Crown tournament, where she defeated Natalya in the first round and Shayna Baszler in the semi-finals, but lost to Zelina Vega in the finals at Crown Jewel. [41] [42] [43]
In 2022, after winning a triple threat No. 1 contendership match against Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan on an episode of Raw, Doudrop challenged Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch for the title at Royal Rumble in a losing effort. [44] [45] At Elimination Chamber, she entered the Elimination Chamber match for a Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 38, but was eliminated by Liv Morgan. [46] Since June, she would chase the WWE 24/7 Championship, winning the title twice. [47] [48] [49]
On 2 May episode of Raw, Doudrop approached Nikki A.S.H. backstage, suggesting to align together, which A.S.H. accepted. [50] The following week on Raw, Doudrop alongside A. S. H. challenged the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Naomi and Sasha Banks in a non-title match, but they were unsuccessful. [51] After the Women's Tag Team Championship was vacated on May, A.S.H. and Doudrop entered a tournament to crown a new champions which began in August. [52] They lost in the first round to Alexa Bliss and Asuka. [53] On 26 August episode of SmackDown , A. S. H. and Doudrop entered a second chance four-way match to return to the tournament among other three teams, which was won by Natalya and Sonya Deville. [54] On 30 August episode of NXT 2.0 , A. S. H. and Doudrop made a surprise appearance as they challenged the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter for their titles at Worlds Collide. [55] At the event, they failed to win the titles due to interference from Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne). [56] After a tag team match against Toxic Attraction on 6 September episode of NXT, Doudrop went on a hiatus due to illness. [57]
On 28 January 2023, Doudrop, under her former ring name "Piper Niven", participated at the Royal Rumble event in the namesake match as the 18th entrant. She lasted over 28 minutes and eliminated two wrestlers before being eliminated by Raquel Rodriguez. [58]
As "Piper Niven", Benson's finishing move is the Loch Ness Slam, a spinning side slam. [59]
Benson is the subject of the episode Fight Like a Girl of the documentary series Our Lives by BBC. The episode is about her life as a professional wrestler. [60] [61]
Benson made her video game debut in the Clowning Around Pack DLC for WWE 2K22 [62] [63] and as a regular playable character in WWE 2K23 . [64]
On Celebrate Bisexuality Day 2019, Benson came out as bisexual. [65] Benson shared that she has Bell's palsy. [66] Benson got married in September 2021. [67]
Shayna Andrea Baszler is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest combined-reigning NXT Women's Champion and a two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Nia Jax.
Andrew McLean Galloway IV is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Matthew Fredrick Riddle is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand.
Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega, and is a member of Legado Del Fantasma. She is a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, and the winner of its 2021 Queen's Crown tournament. Trinidad is the first of just three women to hold the women's world tag team championships of both WWE and Impact Wrestling.
Alexis Cabrera is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to their Performance Center and developmental brand NXT. She made her main roster debut on the SmackDown brand in 2016, later becoming a two-time SmackDown Women's Champion and the first woman to hold the title twice.
Cheree Georgina Crowley is a New Zealand-born professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dakota Kai. She is a member of Damage CTRL and a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Iyo Sky. She is also known for her time in NXT, where she won the inaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and is a former two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
Gionna Jene Daddio is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion.
Tom Budgen is a Dutch professional wrestler. He is currently signed to AEW, where he performs under the ring name Malakai Black and is one-third of the current AEW World Trios Champion alongside fellow House of Black members Brody King and Buddy Matthews in their first reign. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed as Aleister Black from 2017 to 2021.
Nicola Glencross is a Scottish professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Nikki Cross. She is a one-time WWE Raw Women's Champion, three-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion and an 11-time and final WWE 24/7 Champion.
Toni Rossall, better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to AEW, where she is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She previously worked for WWE, where she was a former NXT UK Women's Champion.
Chelsea Anne Cardona ; is a Canadian professional wrestler, stuntwoman and model. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chelsea Green. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling where she is a former Impact Knockouts Champion and Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champion.
Sarah Rowe is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Valhalla. From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of the stable The Riott Squad with Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott and performed under the name Sarah Logan.
Steffanie Rhiannon Newell is a Welsh professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tegan Nox. Newell previously wrestled on the British independent circuit under the ring name Nixon Newell, most notably for promotions such as Attack! Pro Wrestling, Progress Wrestling, WhatCulture Pro Wrestling, and Fight Club: Pro.
Luis Martínez is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judgment Day.
Xia-Louise Brooks is an English professional wrestler and valet, currently signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she competes under the ring name Xia Brookside, and is a member of Club Venus. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed on the NXT UK brand. She has also worked for All Star Wrestling.
Demi Bennett is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion as well as a former NXT Women's Champion, a former Raw Women's Champion and a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, making her the only person to have held all four titles, as well as the first female Australian champion in WWE history. She is also the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner, becoming the fourth wrestler and the first woman to win a Royal Rumble as the number one entrant.
Kayleigh Rae, better known as Kay Lee Ray, is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Alba Fyre.
Beatrice St. Clere Priestley is an English-New Zealand professional wrestler, best known by the ring name Bea Priestley. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Blair Davenport. From 2017 until 2021, she wrestled for World Wonder Ring Stardom and she also made appearances in New Japan Pro-Wrestling serving as Will Ospreay’s valet.
Ashley Louise Urbanski is an American professional wrestler and singer. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Shotzi. She is also known for her time in NXT, where she is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
Victoria González, better known as Raquel González, is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Raquel Rodriguez. She is a former NXT Women's Champion, two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.
For the first mixed tag team match in NXT UK history, Jinny will team with Joseph Connors against Piper Niven and Jack Starz.
Documentary following Kimberly Benson – aka Viper – a top female wrestler from Scotland, as she fights in some of the most important matches of her career.
Viper eliminates Rees and Bram from the proceedings with an impressive dive, then hits Martina with her Viper's Bite and pins her to conquer the title for the second time.